Quantitative Research

RT002: Quantitative Research—Explore quantitative research designs and methods and assess quantitative research studies for quality and for alignment among critical research components.

Written Response Submission Form

Your Name: First and last

Your E-Mail Address: Your email here

Instructions

Before submitting your Assessment, carefully review the Rubric. This is the same Rubric the Assessor will use to evaluate your submission, and it provides detailed criteria describing how to achieve or master the Competency. Many students find that understanding the requirements of the Assessment and the Rubric criteria help them direct their focus and use their time most productively.

· Download the RT002 Written Response Template, and answer each question in 2–3 paragraphs. (filename; e.g. RT002_WR)

· Download the Writing Checklist to review prior to submitting your Assessment.

All submissions must follow the conventions of scholarly writing. Properly formatted APA citations and References must be provided where appropriate. Submissions that do not meet these expectations will be returned without scoring.

This Assessment requires submission of one (1) document: a completed Written Response Template. Save this file as RT002_firstinitial_lastname (for example, RT002_J_Smith). When you are ready to upload your completed Assessment, use the Assessment tab on the top navigation menu.

Item 1

For this Assessment, you will evaluate the purpose statements in assigned journal articles in your discipline (see the readings in Module1) and consider the alignment of theory, problem, and purpose. You will also explain your position on the relationship between research and social change.

Alignment means that a research study possesses clear and logical connections among all of its various components. To achieve these connections, researchers must carefully craft the components of their study such that when they are viewed together, there is a coherent interrelationship.

As you read the authors' purpose statements, consider how well the intent of the study, and its connection to the problem and theoretical framework, is presented. Also, consider if the purpose statement reveals the study's potential for engendering positive social change.

As you know, social change is a distinguishing feature of Walden University's mission. Positive social change implies a transformation that results in positive outcomes. This can happen at many levels (e.g., individual, family systems, neighborhoods, organizations, nationally, and globally); and positive social change can occur at different rates: slow and gradual or fast and radical.

With these thoughts in mind, refer to the Journal Articles document, in Module 1, for your assigned articles for this question. If your last name starts with A through L, use Article B. If your last name starts with M through Z, use Article A.

Submit a critique of the research study in which you:

· Evaluate the authors' use of literature using the Use of Literature Checklist as a guide.

· Evaluate the research problem using the Problem Statement Checklist as a guide.

· Explain what it means for a research study to be justified and grounded in the literature. Then, explain what it means for a problem to be original using the Litmus Test as a guide.

(2–3 paragraphs)

Your Response

Enter your response here.

Rubric

	0 Not Present	1 Needs Improvement	2 Meets Expectations
Module 1: Quantitative Research Components and Alignment
Evaluate the authors’ use of literature using the Use of Literature Checklist as a guide. Learning Objective 1.1: Evaluate use of literature in research studies in peer-reviewed journals.	Response is not present.	An evaluation has been attempted but not all elements of the checklist have been addressed.	Evaluation clearly addresses all elements of the checklist.
Evaluate the research problem using the Problem Statement Checklist as a guide. Learning Objective 1.2: Evaluate problem statement in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals.	Response is not present.	An evaluation has been attempted but not all elements of the checklist have been addressed.	Evaluation clearly addresses all elements of the checklist.
Explain what it means for a research study to be justified and grounded in the literature and for a problem to be original using the Litmus Test as a guide. Learning Objective 1.3: Explain criteria for a research study that is justified and grounded in the literature.	Response is not present.	Explanation of the criteria for justified and grounded research study is vague or incomplete.	Explanation of the criteria for justified and grounded research study is clear and complete.
Consider if the purpose statement reveals the study's potential for engendering positive social change. Learning Objective 1.6: Explain the relationship between research and social change.	Response is not present.	Explanation of the relationship between research and social change as indicated by the purpose statement is unclear or incomplete.	Explanation of the relationship between research and social change as indicated by the purpose statement is clear and complete.

Item 2

Provide an explanation of a threat to internal validity and a threat to external validity in quantitative research. Next, explain a strategy to mitigate each of these threats. Then, identify a potential ethical issue in quantitative research, and explain how it might influence design decisions. Finally, explain what it means for a research topic to be amenable to scientific study using a quantitative approach. (2–3 paragraphs)

Your Response

Enter your response here.

Rubric

	0 Not Present	1 Needs Improvement	2 Meets Expectations
Module 2: Quality (Reliability/Validity) Considerations in Research
Provide an explanation of a threat to internal validity and a threat to external validity in quantitative research. Learning Objective 2.1: Explain threats to internal validity and external validity in quantitative research.	Response is not present.	Explanation of threats to internal and external validity are incomplete and vague.	Explanation of threats to internal and external validity are clear and complete.
Explain a strategy to mitigate the threats. Learning Objective 2.2: Explain strategies to mitigate threats to internal validity and external validity in quantitative research.	Response is not present.	Explanation of the strategy to mitigate threats is unclear and incomplete.	Explanation of the strategy to mitigate threats is clear and complete.

Item 3

The selection of a research design is guided by the study's purpose and research questions and hypotheses, and the design then links the research questions and hypotheses to the data that will be collected. You should keep in mind, however, that the research process is interactive, not necessarily proceeding in a linear fashion from one component to the next. Rather, the writing of research questions could, for example, necessitate adjustments to the study's purpose statement. Nevertheless, when presented together, the various components of a research study should align. Alignment means that a research study possesses clear and logical connections among all of its various components.

In addition to considering alignment, when researchers select a research design, they must also consider the ethical implications of their choice, including, for example, what their design selection means for participant recruitment, procedures, and privacy.

For this question, you will evaluate quantitative research questions and hypotheses in assigned journal articles in your discipline and consider the alignment of theory, problem, purpose, research questions and hypotheses, and design. You will also identify the type of quantitative research design the authors used and explain how it was implemented. Quasi-experimental, casual comparative, correlational, pretest-posttest, or true experimental are examples of types of research designs used in quantitative research.

With these thoughts in mind, refer to the Journal Articles document in Module 4 for your assigned articles for this question. If your last name starts with A through I, use Article A. If your last name starts with J through R, use Article B. If your last name starts with S through Z, use Article C.

In your response, provide a critique of the research study in which you:

· Evaluate the research questions and hypotheses. (Note: The Research Questions and Hypotheses Checklist can be used as a guide to facilitate your evaluation. It is not meant to be used in a Yes/No response format in writing your response.)

· Identify the type of quantitative research design used, and explain how the researchers implemented the design.

· Analyze alignment among the theory, problem, purpose, research questions and hypotheses, and design.

Be sure to support your critique with reference to the Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA style.

Your Response

Enter your response here.

Rubric

	0 Not Present	1 Needs Improvement	2 Meets Expectations
Module 3: Ethical Issues in Quantitative Designs
Evaluate the research questions and hypotheses. Learning Objective 1.1: Evaluate use of literature in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals.	Response is not present.	Evaluation of research questions and hypotheses is vague or incomplete.	Evaluation of research questions and hypotheses is clear and complete.
Evaluate the problem statement in research study. Learning Objective 1.2: Evaluate problem statement in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals.	Response is not present.	Evaluation is present but is unclear or vague.	Evaluation is clear and complete.
Explain the criteria for a research study. Learning Objective 1.3: Explain criteria for research study that is justified and grounded in the literature.	Response is not present.	Explanation of the criteria for research study that is justified and grounded in the literature is vague or incomplete.	Explanation of the criteria for research study that is justified and grounded in the literature is clear and complete.
Identify the type of quantitative research design used, and explain how the researchers implemented the design. Learning Objective 1.4: Identify the type of quantitative research design used, and explain how the researchers implemented the design.	Response is not present.	Type of quantitative research design used is identified but identification may be incorrect or the explanation of how the design was implemented may be incomplete or incorrect.	Type of quantitative research design is correctly identified and the explanation of how the design was implemented is complete and correct.
Analyze alignment among the theory, problem, purpose, research questions and hypotheses, and design. Learning Objective 1.5: Analyze alignment among theory, problem, and purpose in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals.	Response is not present.	Analysis of alignment among the components of a research study is attempted but incomplete.	Analysis of alignment among the components of a research study is clear and complete.

Item 4

For this question, you will submit the annotation of a quantitative research article on a topic of your interest. Quasi-experimental, casual comparative, correlational, pretest/post-test, or true experimental are examples of types of research designs used in quantitative research.

An annotation consists of three separate paragraphs that cover three respective components: summary, analysis, and application. These three components convey the relevance and value of the source. As such, an annotation demonstrates your critical thinking about (and authority on) the source.

An Annotated Bibliography is a document containing selected sources accompanied by a respective annotation of each source. In preparation for your own future research, an Annotated Bibliography provides a background for understanding a portion of the existing literature on a particular topic. It is also a useful first step in gathering sources in preparation for writing a subsequent literature review as part of a dissertation.

Please review the instructions below, and click on the underlined words for information about how to craft each component of an annotation.

It is recommended that you use the Grading Rubric as a self-evaluation tool before submitting your response.

Use the Walden Library databases to search for one quantitative research article from a peer-reviewed journal on a topic of your interest.

· Before you read the full article and begin your annotation, locate the methodology section in the article to be sure that the article describes a quantitative study. Confirm that one of the types of quantitative designs (such as, quasi-experimental, casual comparative, correlational, pretest-posttest, or true experimental) was used in the study.

· Annotate one quantitative research article from a peer-reviewed journal on a topic of your interest.

· Provide the reference list entry for this article in APA style followed by a 3-paragraph annotation that includes:

· A summary

· An analysis

· An application, as illustrated in this example

· Format your annotation in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. A separate Reference page is not needed.

Your Response

Enter your response here.

Rubric

	0 Not Present	1 Needs Improvement	2 Meets Expectations
Module 4: Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Quantitative Designs
Annotate a quantitative research article complete with a summary, an analysis, and an application. Learning Objective 4.5: Annotate a quantitative research article.	Response is not present.	Annotation is present but may be missing one or more components.	Annotation is complete with a summary, analysis, and application.

References

Provide a citation for each resource you used to write your response to this Assessment. The following citation has been provided as an example:

· Drost, E. A. (2011). Validity and reliability in social science research. Education Research and Perspectives, 38(1), 105–124.

Mastery Rubric

In order to achieve mastery of this Competency, you must achieve a “2” on every Rubric row in addition to meeting the additional expectation indicated in the Mastery Rubric.

Mastery Rubric	No	Yes
Exceeds Expectations: Quantitative Research Designs
Learning Objective: Explore quantitative research designs and methods and assess quantitative research studies for quality and for alignment among critical research components,	Understanding of quantitative research designs and methods is lacking in depth and assessment of quantitative research studies for quality is unclear or incomplete.	Understanding of quantitative research designs and methods is thorough and fully considered. Assessment of quantitative research studies for quality is clear and complete.

It is highly recommended that you use this opportunity to practice these important skills in the context of this Competency Assessment in order to receive feedback about your current level of proficiency.

In this Competency Assessment, you will be assessed on the following Professional Skills: Written Communication and Applied and Collaborative Learning. These skills count toward your achievement of the Competency and the Professional Skills.

Professional Skills Assessment	0 Not Present	1 Needs Improvement	2 Meets Expectations
Written Communication: Write with clarity, coherence, and purpose.
LO1.1: Develop clear thesis statements .	Thesis statement is not present.	Thesis statement is unclear and/or unfocused.	Thesis statement is well-defined and clearly describes the topic and focus of the response.
LO1.2: Use transitions to connect ideas.	Transitions are not present.	Transitions are used inconsistently or limit reader’s access to ideas.	Writing conveys a cohesive idea through the effective use of transitions.
LO1.3: Use appropriate tone and vocabulary for a given audience.	Vocabulary and tone are inappropriate for the audience.	Vocabulary and tone vary throughout the writing, limiting reader’s access to ideas.	Vocabulary and tone communicate key concepts that are appropriate for the audience.
LO1.4: Apply APA formatting and style guidelines.	APA formatting and style are not present.	Writing inconsistently uses in-text citations and references. Major errors in APA style impede understanding and/or violate standards for academic integrity.	Writing uses in-text citations appropriately, includes references when applicable, and is formatted according to APA style. Minor errors in APA style do not impede understanding or violate standards for academic integrity.

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